Lecture Notes: Providence and the Nature of God

Introduction

• Discussion on the providence of God from Grudem's text.
• Emphasis on understanding the big picture and underlying issues in theology.
• Key theological questions include God's relationship to evil and sovereignty.

Doctrine of God and Creation

• Names of God: Highlight the relationship between God's transcendent qualities and His engagement with humanity.
  • Transcendence: Emphasizes God's eternal majesty.
  • Imminence: God's personal and intimate relationship with creation.
• Incarnation: Represents God's ultimate engagement with humanity.

Transcendence and Imminence

• Transcendence: God is distinct and above creation.
  • Attributes include infinity, independence, immutability, and sovereignty.
  • Incommunicable Attributes: Characteristics unique to God.
• Imminence: God's nearness and relational aspect with creation.
  • Attributes include omnipresence and omniscience.
  • Communicable Attributes: Characteristics shared to some extent with creation.

The Tension Between Transcendence and Imminence

• Bible supports both God's transcendence and imminence.
• Examples include: Isaiah 57:15, Acts 17, Psalm 95.
• Key Insight: God's ability to be personal and engaged is due to His transcendence.

Understanding Sin and Human Nature

• Sin is addressed as a critical doctrine, often trivialized in society.
• Sin defined as moral evil against God's holy character.
• Importance of acknowledging the depth of human sinfulness for understanding the need for salvation.

Theological Tensions

• Calvinism vs. Arminianism: Discussion on sovereignty and human free will.
• Evangelical Calvinism: Emphasizes God's sovereignty in salvation.
• Evangelical Arminianism: Emphasizes human freedom in God's relational framework.
• Hyper-Calvinism and Pelagianism: Extremes leading to deism or denial of original sin.

Providence and Evil

• God's sovereignty includes control over evil, yet retaining holiness.
• Direct vs. Indirect Causation: God causes good directly, evil indirectly through withdrawal of grace.
• Importance of maintaining God's holiness while affirming His sovereignty.

Conclusion

• The doctrine of providence and the tension between God's sovereignty and human responsibility raise important theological questions.
• Encouragement to engage in theological debates with respect and understanding of historical context.